Head Count: is it really a town? part 3

The Skinny: This is the second place we stopped to sleep along the Manali-Leh Highway.

What Thar Be: Again, there is no town here, per se, but just a collection of tents made out of old Indian army parachutes.

Digs: The second tent from the right. 50R a person for a pillow and blanket in the big, communal sleeping room in the back of the tent.

Vittles: The lady who owned our tent cooked us some soup and mediocre food for a low price.

Hooch Factor: We did manage to buy a beer from our hostess, and then hide it under the table from the cops--'guess Pang's in a dry county!

Navigability: Drive in to the parking lot, park, and then drive out.

Sliding In and Out: The road leading from Pang to Leh is so varied that it's difficult to recap. Throughout this final leg into Leh, the road is in generally good shape with a few landslides and washout areas. The road is very well-tended because of the amount of traffic in the months it is open. Tanglangla Pass looms in the middle of the drive from Pang to Leh at 5328m, the highest point on the journey. The final section enters into the Indus Valley and becomes flat and dry, the road sticking to the banks of the Indus River past numerous military encampments until reaching the town of Leh.